Page 52 of A Lifetime of Afters
His eyes spared me half a glance and his whole body tensed as he leaned further into Hawk’s space. Shaking him roughly, he sneered, “You sack of shit, you’re not worth the effort.”
Hawk looked sick, his face pained, the first sign of life since Max came in the room and it wasn’t a good one.
I kept waiting for him to defend himself, defend us, but he said not one thing.
Releasing his shirt and slamming him once more into the wall, Max then turned to me. He opened his mouth to speak then snapped it shut, his lips turning white with the effort to suppress words I surely did not want to hear.
My breath stuttered out of me as he stalked away. I dropped my chin to my chest and panted out a shocked breath. The relief was short-lived.
“How long?”
I spun to find Harley looking at me, hurt and anger shining in her eyes.
“How long?” she demanded, her voice shaking.
“Six weeks,” I whispered.
Her mouth fell open. “Six weeks? Sixweeks?” She stared at me, her eyes wide. “You’ve lied to me for six weeks, Noelle?” Her gaze dropped to the floor for a pregnant moment before she looked back up. “So many times, so many opportunities and you never once said.”
I moved to go to her, but she stayed me with her hand.
“No. Not right now, Noelle.”
She looked at her brother, leaning against the wall, his head down before looking back at me. “I told you he was fragile,” she hissed.
“Harley,” I pleaded.
“I can’t right now,” she snapped, her heels clicking across the floor as she left me alone with Hawkley.
Spinning on my heel, I went to Hawk. I needed to pick up the pieces, and quickly, before I lost it all.
“Did you do it on purpose?” he asked dully.
Disbelief rendered me dizzy as the hits kept coming. “What?” I whispered, hoping against hope he’d take it back.
“Did you set me up?” He bit off each word. “Did you want Max and Harley to come back here?”
“No!” I protested. “I don’t know how you could even think that!”
Pushing away from the wall, his fractured heart visible behind his eyes, he stared down at me, “I told you what would happen. You couldn’t leave well enough alone.” Hands hanging at his sides, he dropped his chin to his chest.
I raised my hand to cover his heart.
He stepped back, heaved in a deep breath, his eyes darting around the room as if looking for an escape.
“Hawk,” I whispered. “What is going on?” Surely people knowing about us did not warrant this much drama.
Barely sparing me a glance, he uttered three words. “We are done.”
My mouth fell open.What?“No, Hawk, no,” I countered softly. I launched myself at him, my hands going to his chest. “It’ll be okay, Hawk. They just need time to adjust.”
“No, Noelle,” he wrapped his hands around my wrists. For a long moment he paused, pressing my hands tighter to his chest, his eyes closing before gently pulling them away. He released me and stepped back.
Oh, God. This was it.
Have you given it all? Have you held anything back?
“Hawkley,” I looked up into his face. “It’ll be okay. I love-”
